Calling Her Bluff
by twinmomma78
Summary: A very simple realization brings Castle and Beckett face to face with reality!


_Disclaimer: Castle belongs to ABC. Any fiction involving the show's characters and written by me is purely for my own amusement, not for any financial gain._

Castle's apartment suddenly seemed terribly empty. Everyone had left after the final hand of poker had been dealt that night. Alexis was staying the night at a friend's house and Martha was actually staying with Chet for once. From across the room, Beckett felt his gaze on her, but she continued her task and tried to ignore the nerves she was feeling. She was rounding up the plates and glasses from the evening's refreshments. Setting a stack of dishes on the kitchen counter, she turned and found herself just inches from him.

"Can I help you?" she asked candidly, wondering how he had moved so quickly and quietly.

A half-grin spread across his face as he realized she was nervous. "To be honest, Detective Beckett, I wouldn't know where to begin," he answered. "You were very much on your game tonight."

"Eh, lucky hand I guess," she said, suddenly very much aware that her face was flushed. Her mind was alerting her to the fact that they had been in close contact many times, but for some reason, this felt different.

"Very lucky," Castle said, taking a step closer and leaving very little room for her to maneuver. She was toying with the ring on the chain around her neck, a fidgeting habit he found completely endearing. He reached out and closed his hand over hers, bringing their joined hands to his chest where she could feel his heart beating.

"Castle…I..." she began, almost stuttering.

"Beckett, please do us both a favor and shut up," he said, just before brushing his lips lightly over hers. Slowly, carefully, he brought his other hand up to trace along her jawline, then slid his fingers into her hair and drew her even deeper into the kiss.

Her eyes closed, and she struggled internally to respond to the warnings going off in her head…_this is Castle_…_what are we doing?_ But her heart was taking full control. How long had she wondered what this would be like, what it might feel like? She dropped her hand from his chest and hesitantly set her hands on his arms, but she was torn between ending the kiss or becoming even more involved. Throwing caution to the wind, she welcomed the challenge and tightened her grip on him, moving her arms up until they curled around his neck. It was unclear who was in control, but she didn't care. For once in her life, she wasn't fully in control anymore. And it felt glorious.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, Castle pulled her even closer against him until there wasn't even room for air between them. Their kisses lengthened and became more intense. Trying to regain sanity and bracing her forehead against his, she dared to break the silence.

"What are we doing, Castle?" she pleaded softly, trying to catch her breath.

"In some cultures, this is called kissing," Castle replied in his best school teacher voice. "It's a sign of devotion, a way to show affection."

"OK, but why now? This is…this is a huge step," she said.

"Wow," Castle said gently. "The great detective still hasn't figured it out."

"What?" she said, watching his eyes closely for any trace of a clue.

"I have wanted to kiss you for as long as I've known you," he said. "I think I have been falling in love with you since you first flashed that badge at me. You're my best friend. You have to know how much you mean to me." He kissed her again, afraid that breaking contact for too long would cause her to hesitate even more.

Catching her breath again, Beckett sighed and looked into his eyes again. "I'm tired of pretending that there's not something between us," she said. "But this is going to change _everything_, Castle, you understand that, right?"

His blue eyes softened at her words. Reaching up to brush her hair back from her face, he pressed another kiss to her forehead and held her close in an embrace that gave them both peace. "I'm counting on it."


End file.
